


Out of the Nest

by LizBee



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-07
Updated: 2007-05-07
Packaged: 2017-10-03 21:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizBee/pseuds/LizBee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Francine learns more about the Doctor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the Nest

The man -- Francine had stopped thinking of him as a waiter -- leaned in close and whispered, "The Doctor was responsible for the death of your niece, Adeola."

Francine froze.

"Among others, of course," he added. "Where ever he goes, he leaves death behind. Your daughter should be careful." Francine tried to pull away, but he was still speaking. "Unfortunately, it is Mr Saxon's policy to regard the Doctor's willing companions as equally culpable in his crimes."

Francine wanted to argue, to tell him that Martha was usually a sensible girl, that for the first time she'd just lost her head and gotten swept up in some man's fantasy life -- but he was already walking away.

*

And what was she supposed to tell her sister? Margaret would know as soon as they met that there was something on her mind. They were twins; they always knew.

But she wasn't going to tell Margaret that Martha had run off with the man who killed Adeola. Margaret's pain was still too raw. All the photos of her daughter had been put away, and Margaret flinched when she heard her name.

*

It occurred to Francine that it simply wasn't true, that the waiter was just a passing lunatic who saw an opportunity to interfere.

The package put an end to that idea.

It arrived just before lunch the next day, a sealed package delivered by courier. It contained a DVD and a few pages of text, heavily censored like a letter from a war front.

Francine went home early. The house was too big and empty now, with no children or husband to fill it, but she kept putting off the inevitable move. She regretted that now, watching her niece's death.

Watch. Rewind. Freeze. She was so intent on Adeola that she didn't even see the Doctor at first.

But when she did--

Oh God, it was the same man, and Martha was with him now, his dispassionate face as he killed Adeola, my _God_ was he _apologising_? Pick up the phone, Martha, pick up the damn phone--

It didn't help that Adeola looked so much like Martha. That was an old family joke, no longer funny.

Francine picked up the phone again.

"Martha, this is your mother. Please ... call me. Please."

*

The papers were excerpted from a file. An old file, judging by the dates. A list of events, causes, chaos. Deaths.

_Known companions_, she read, and then there was a long list of names. Most of them women, many deceased. These women, they left with him and never returned. _Perpugilliam Brown_. _Dorothy McShane_. Two (_Rose Tyler, Jaqueline Tyler_) had died on the same day as Adeola. A lot of people died that day, but still---

*

"Martha, this is your mother. It's urgent that you call me right away. Martha? Martha, are you there?"

 

end


End file.
